At Orlando Regional Medical Center, Florida Hospital South and other local hospitals, patients and family members must remain vigilant to avoid injury or death by medical malpractice. Preventable medical errors kill and seriously injure hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. As Orlando medical malpractice lawyers, we believe that any discussion of medical negligence that does not involve preventable medical errors ignores this fundamental problem. And while some interested parties would prefer to focus on doctors’ insurance premiums, health care costs, or alternative compensation systems—anything other than the negligence itself—reducing medical errors is the best way to address all the related problems. Preventing medical errors will lower health care costs, reduce doctors’ insurance premiums, and protect the health and well-being of patients.
Malpractice is Frequent
Tragically, medical malpractice is very common. The Institute of Medicine’s thorough study of preventable medical errors estimated as many as 98,000 people die every year at a cost of $29 billion. If the Centers for Disease Control were to include preventable medical errors as a category, these conclusions would make it the sixth leading cause of death in America.
Further research has confirmed the extent of medical errors. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement estimates there are 15 million incidents of medical harm each year. HealthGrades, the nation’s leading healthcare rating organization, found that Medicare patients who experienced a patient-safety incident had a one-in-five chance of dying as a result.
Doctors Sometimes Avoid Responsibility
Disappointing to most people we represent is the fact that these hospitals and doctors seek to avoid responsibility for their errors and the devastating harm they cause. However, with all the laws making it more difficult for patients to hold hospitals and doctors accountable, very few medical malpractice cases settle. Usually, the only way to hold those who commit medical malpractice accountable is to go to trial.
The Balance of Law and Medicine
As Orlando medical malpractice lawyers, we have developed successful approaches to this complex area of law. Dr. Walter Ward is one of the few lawyers in Florida who is also a medical doctor. As a medical doctor and lawyer he brings unique training and experience to examination of the medical doctors and hospital personnel involved in our clients’ malpractice.
